50th Anniversary Celebration

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I send my “congratulations” to all of you for a wonderful 50th Anniversary Celebration the weekend of October 2nd thru October 4th! This weekend was most memorable and very special. I was honored to have been part of these historical moments in the life of our beloved Cathedral Community. That particular weekend was one of the greatest highlights of the entire year. We successfully celebrated our uniqueness among the Orthodox Churches worldwide as being one of the most diverse parishes in the world. At the International Night, it was very moving to have so many of you greet His Grace Bishop Apostolos in various languages. There was a plentiful amount of ethnic fasting foods for all to enjoy. That was a great tribute to who we are as a community!

Saturday’s Grand Luncheon Banquet was incredible! We had the blessing to listen our first assigned priest, Fr. Dean Gigicos, give a touching personal account of his experiences in those earlier days. He presented us with very meaningful memorabilia. Mrs. Regina Mass offered us a complete and thoughtful historical perspective on our roots and on who our founding members were/are. She included in her talk quite many treasured memories and moments. His Grace Bishop Apostolos also offered heart-felt congratulatory and inspirational words to all of us and gave us, on behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, a beautiful Proclamation in Commemoration of our Major Milestone.

At Greek Night, Saturday Evening, in a more casual and relaxed atmosphere, we enjoyed Greek Cuisine and wonderful performances by our Nisiotes and Nisiotopoula Dancers. Sunday, we experienced a Most Glorious Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. After services, we honored a number of our wise, dedicated senior members who have always offered so much of themselves over the years for our community to the Glory of God. Also, we said our tearful farewells and offered a lei to our dear Mary Book who has moved to the Mainland to be with her family. We enjoyed a Luau with extraordinary performances of traditional Hawaiian music with our own Vicki Shiroma who is part of an adult musical ensemble and were especially moved by the unforgettable and most excellent performances of our Aloha Youth Choir.

My dear people, history has been made as is still in the making, as we come to the close of all our 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Let us continue with great fervor the Legacy of our Faith in our community of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific. This requires us to always ask ourselves why we exist as a worshipping community. This “why” is that we “commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God,” as we continuously pray in our Holy Services. Our constant goal is to be in communion with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Without keeping this in mind, we exist without a purpose and we will never know the “why” of our existence. May we not perish, as the Church (Body of Christ), on these beautiful Hawaiian Islands of Paradise, but rather flourish to end of the ages.With Love in Christ,